How Things Are With Leelo Today

Yesterday Leelo and I went to the BioSet practitioner while saintly Jo watched Iz. Turns out Leelo is sensitive to the last four supplements we had questions about: Nutribiotic grapfruit seed extract, glutathione cream, vitamin B12, and calcium, which means he'll have to be de-sensitized to them all (it's an accupressure thang). The calcium ban makes me especially nervous--I don't want his bones to to get all porous and rubbery, or turn to powder (the latter is the coercion rationale used to get Iz to eat calcium-rich foods). To get calcium (and all the other currently banned supplements) on board, I've increased the number and frequency of Leelo's BioSet appointments, yet so far won't be needing to cut into the ABA therapy sessions. Whew.

Leelo's twice-monthly team meeting took place yesterday as well. Supervisor M reported that she went to his small-group language school to evaluate his progress since June and was relatively pleased--although our boy still doesn't like or possibly understand how to follow directions as a member of a group. This doesn't bode well for his transition to a real preschool (with a "shadow" aide), but Therapist F and Supervisor M are going to evaluate a school or two anyhow. (Leelo gets booted from his current school when he turns three in November and the Regional Center cuts off his funding.)

His work with the therapists continues to exceed expectations, at least according to his team. They use the words "amazing" and "tremendous" a lot in describing each session. Super-Supervisor Andil and Supervisor M, who consider Leelo's ABA program to only have been in place for 6 weeks, say that his rate of language acquisition is impressive and that this can be a good indicator of future success. They have stepped up the variety and complexity of tasks in his program.

Nice to hear: Supervisor M specifically feels optimistic about Leelo's social potential, since he is a happy, friendly boy and does like and seek out other people--on his terms.

Supervisor M also voiced concerns about Leelo's sensory needs. Turns out she, like me, is in the middle of Temple Grandin's Thinking In Pictures (an account of the experience of being autistic), and that Grandin's assertions about autistic kids' need for sensory integration therapy underscore what Supervisor M herself has witnessed many, many times: it works, kids love it, kids need it. So I've put a call into the Occupational Therapy director at Leelo's school to see if they can set us up.

This morning Leelo and I both woke up with runny noses (I was up most of the night being the amazing sneezing snot fountain, so not a surprise in my case). For Leelo this is cause for alarm--he is one of those kids who's sick for the entire cold/flu season, and his colds always, always, always turn into ear infections. Fending off those infections led to the antibiotic overuse cycle that we suspect shredded his little gut and may have contributed to his autism. He hasn't had an ear infection since ear tubes were put in in April, but the cold/flu season was pretty much over by then. I do not want him to get sick again.

However, Dr. Prattle has advised us to not let Leelo use antibiotics, ibuprofen, or any other over-the-counter cold/flu meds until we get Leelo's system working properly. What we are supposed to do at the first sign of illness is hit him up with Manapol, an aloe-based immune system enhancer, and Myco-Immune, a similar product. I have been scared to use these products since their primary function is to raise the body's temperature to help it kill the bad bugs. Especially since our family has febrile (fever-induced) seizures, and, though Leelo's never had one, Iz's have been prolonged and violent. I will monitor him closely.

Leelo had his first dose of Manapol during lunch. I figured what the hell, I'm sick too, and so am going to join him on the regimen. The Manapol isn't so bad--you can open up the capsules and mix it easily with water. The Myco-Immune is nasty as all-fuck, though--it's alcohol-based! Like putting a dropperful of everclear in your mouth! I'm glad I dosed myself first and found this out, since I tend to blindly trust everything the good doctor recommends. Can't imagine how awful it would have been if I'd given a straight dose to Leelo--the last time we gave him an alcohol-based supplement, it resulted in projectile vomiting. Will call Dr. Prattle and ask for advice.